17U Run-Through: Minnesota Fury
The Minnesota Fury added several quality players to the five that are returning from a 37 win team a year ago. It should be another solid year for the Minnesota Fury.
The Roster: The Fury roster has ten players and nine of those players are from the metro suburban area and one from outstate Minnesota. This is from a team that was 37-15 a year ago and finished ranked fifth in the state at the 16u level. Four of the Fury players compete in the Lake Conference (one from each teams save Eden Prairie).
Returning: Six-foot-5 Charlie Gorres is back with the Fury and we are really looking forward to seeing what he can do after he missed half of his junior season. Charles scored 20.6 points per game for Park of Cottage Grove when he was available to play. Also returning as a Fury forward is the tough and steady 6-foot-6 Dane Zimmer of Hopkins who scored nine points a game of the Royals bench this year.
Prior Lake scoring guard Sam Nissen stands 6-foot-1 and has the ability to play both guards spots as needed. Nissen gave the Lakers 11.6 points per game. Also returning for this team is 6-foot-3 Isaiah Watts from Bloomington Jefferson and 6-foot-6 Regan Tollefson from Chanhassen. Watts scored 14.2 points per game for the Jaguars while Tollefson was the Storm’s leading scorer this year with 16 points a contest.
New Additions: That core group returning for the Fury is very good, but the reuniting of three guys that played together growing up will make this team even better. That is Jacob Beeninga of Wayzata, Jack Middleton of Edina, and Cole Nicholson of Chaska, all of which rank with the toughest and most intelligent of basketball players in the 2019 class. There are very few guys that can handle the big game spotlight consistently but Beeninga ranks with the best, Nicholson isn’t far behind, and Middleton is getting there. Beeninga scored 21 a game this year, Nicholson 22.5 a game, and Middleton 13.5 a game.
The Fury also added a couple players that have very good potential. Six-foot-4 Andy Stafford is a small forward that scored 8.5 a contest at Minnetonka as a junior. Then you have 6-foot-8, wide-shouldered explosive frontcourt player Carter Henry from BOLD who broke his school’s shot blocking record this year. Carter gave a quality BOLD team 16.5 points and nine boards a game this winter.